[Dixielandjazz] Re: Fantastic Gig.

[Stephen Barbone]

 What a gig we had last night. In West Chester PA, at a street festival.
Two Blocks closed off, street vendors and us. Occasion called "Swinging
Thursday's Outside".

Many, many sweet young things stood opposite us to hear the music as we
were lined up on one side of the street, facing a three story apartment
building, with balconies, kind of like a New Orleans Street. West
Chester is a neat town built about 1850 and Gay Street is a neat street.
Also, this is a College Town with Summer School in session.

Sang w/o amplification as I thought the town was supplying sound and
they thought I was. Luckily we could plug the bass and guitar in, but I
had to shout out muso bios and songs, which are an integral part of our
show

Threw beads to all the girls, plus kids early in the evening (6:30 PM
start) By 8:30, only the sweet younger girls, couples and a bunch of
older people  so we went into high gear. Two lovelies, mid twenties,
were sitting and sipping on a second floor balcony opposite us. So I
sang, or rather shouted out "I Want A Little Girl" to them, walked
across the street and threw beads up to them. Played my solo up to them.
Big hit to them and the crowd. Returned to band stand through smiling
crowd.

Started throwing beads in earnest. Lots of hugs and kisses. I give white
beads to girls with dates or husbands and tell them that these are for
chastity. No foolin around tonight. Girls love it, men grimace and
berate me, asking for red beads which I say are from the devil and mean
anything goes, all fantasies included. Demand increases for red beads.
Band member pulses quicken.

Then several girls came up, at our beckoning and sat on our stools as we
played to them and they danced around us to the crowd's delight. So I
shouted out "The Million Dollar Secret" (Medium tempo Jump Blues)

I want to tell all you girls a secret, please keep it to yourself.
I want to tell all you girls a secret, please keep it to yourself.
Its a million dollar secret, so please, please, please don't leave it on
the shelf.

Want to do your thing,  and get rich quick?
Get you an older man girls that will do the trick.
Oh those older men, they know just what to do.
They'll give you lots of lovin, they'll give you lots of money too.

They'll tickle you under your chin, and scratch you on you side.
And say :"wake up you sweet young thing, give me my morning's exercise"
Oh those older men, they know just what to do
They'll give you plenty of lovin, they'll give you money too.

Now she's got a man who's 78, and she's just 23. (POINT  TO HER)
She says "my friends all think I'm crazy"
"His will's made out to me" (IN FALSETTO VOICE)
Oh those older men, they know just what to do.
They'll give you lots of money, they'll give you credit cards too.

Followed by raucous jump blues solos and girls laughing, dancing and
rubbing against us. I have to tell you, the crowd went absolutely
bonkers and we, of course, did too. Again, I had to yell it out because,
no amplification. But that made it more fun. The whole street was
jumping. The end at 9:30 came much too soon.

This blues has become a trademark for us when ever the girls are around
(often) and it just ignites all of us. The band got 2 more gigs from
last night's performance plus an invite to the balconied apartment for a
couple of drinks. But like true blue conservative older musical artists,
we chickened out.

However, next month, no more Mr. Nice Guy. I'm going up to that balcony,
having a drink, playing a solo from there, tossing some beads and hoping
for a wild and crazy evening. ;-) I can hardly wait.

Cheers,
Steve Barbone

PS This song, sung by Ms. Connie Rainis, is on our new CD coming out in
a month or so.
.